Instrument casing



Oct. 29, 1963 N. PORTER INSTRUMENT CASING Filed Aug. 10, 1959 3Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR NORMAN PORTER BY TMWfigW} 534m TORNEYS N. PORTERINSTRUMENT CASING Oct. 29, 1963 5 Sheets-sheaf; 2

Filed Aug. 10, 1959 INVENTOR NORMAN PORTER ATTO ms NEYS Oct. 29, 1963 N.PORTER INSTRUMENT CASING SSheets-Shet 3 Filed Aug. .10, 1959 INVENTORNORMAN P R P a i m m TORNEY-S United States Patent ice 3,108,477INSTRUMENT CASING Norman Porter, Sellersville, Pa., assignor to Ametek,Iuc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 10, 1959,Ser. No. 832,750 Claims. (Cl. 73-431) This invention relates toinstrument casings or enclosures adapted to house indicating, recordingand control instruments and the like.

Casings of the above described type generally have a front door hingedto the casing that is provided with a central window through which arecording chart may be viewed. The various instruments, such as Bourdontube gauges and the like for measuring pressure and temperature, etc.,are usually back mounted on the back Wall of the casing, and the armorcable for thermal elements as well as the pressure lines for pressuregauges generally pass through knock out holes in the base of the casingand are bottom connected to the instruments, which latter are backmounted on the back wall of the casing.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an instrument casingof such construction that the various instruments to be housed thereinmay, with facility, be mounted within, and removed from the casing whilestill attached to the armor cable or pressure lines required for theirproper functioning.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a casing having ahinged front door that includes a door catch capable of effecting atight closure of the door and the casing by only a slight force beingapplied to the door handle.

In one aspect of the invention, a casing may be provided with a backwall surrounded by four side walls having integral flanges that areparrellel with the back wall. Parallel flanges that are also parallelwith the upper and lower side walls may extend outwardly from the topand bottom of the casing for receiving between them the top and bottomflanges of a door that may be hinged by removable pins to and at one endof, the top and bottom parallel flanges of the casing.

In another aspect of the invention, a ledge or shelf may be formedwithin the casing and spaced a distance from the bottom Wall thereof fora purpose to be described. The ledge acts as one part of a steppedbottom Wall of the casing, and the forward edge of the ledge isconnected to the other part of the stepped bottom wall of the casing bya wall that is parallel to the back wall. This construction defines atthe outside back of the casing, a recess beneath the ledge for a purposeto be described. The wall beneath the ledge may be provided withopenings large enough to receive the various instruments to be mountedwithin the casing, and cover plates may be provided to close theseopenings when the instruments are mounted within the casing.

In still another aspect of the invention, parallel slots or grooves maybe provided extending partly through the ledge, some of which may beopened by a knock out process for receiving the armor cable leading totemperature instruments and lines leading to pressure gauges mountedwithin the casing.

From the foregoing it is evident that instruments attached to theirsupply lines or armor cable may be inserted from the back of the wall orpanel-mounted casing through the large openings beneath the ledge, and

the lines or cable may be threaded into the parallel Patented Oct. 29,1963 In still another aspect of the invention, the hinged door for thecasing may include a recess for receiving a pivotally mounted doorhandle in a manner to be flush with the exterior of the door when in itslatched position. A latch may be fixed to the door handle and it mayextend inwardly of the casing. The latch may include a large hook-likeelement adapted to cooperate with a roller mounted interiorly of thecasing and on a side wall thereof, and a locking device may be providedon the door for interfering with, and permitting the movement of, thelatch depending upon whether it is efiiective or ineffective.

The above, other objects and novel features of the invention will becomeapparent from the following specification and accompanying drawingswhich are merely exemplary.

In the drawings:

' FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a casing to which the principlesof the invention have been applied;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the casing shown in FIG. 1, withthe door open and removed from the casing;

FIG. 3 is a view along line 3-3 of the casing of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing one method of fabrication ofa detail of the locking mechanism;

FIG. 6 is a view along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 77 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7, showing how a knock out operation providesan opening through the door to receive a gauge or the like;

FIG. 9 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially along line 99of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of the casing and doorshowing details of the door latching and locking mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof,the principles of the invention are shown as applied to a casingincluding a back wall 10 surrounded by side walls 11, 12, 13 and 14.Integral with, and surrounding the side Walls 11 to 14 are flanges 15,16, 17 and 18 parallel with back wall 10. Overhanging flanges 19 and 20may be provided along the flanges 16 and 18 that are parallel with eachother and parallel with side walls 12 and 14.

A door 21 may comprise a wall 22 having a large window 23 thereinthrough which a recording chart may be viewed. The wall 22 of door 21may have upstanding flanges 24, 25, 26 and 27 of a height substantiallyequal to that of the overhanging flanges 19 and 20, so that when closed,the door is flush with the outer edges of flanges 19 and 20. The door 21may include aligned recesses 19 adapted to be aligned with correspondingrecesses 20' within flanges 19 and 20 on the casing. Pins 21', one ofwhich may include a springpressed detent, may extend through therecesses 19' and 2% to hingedly mount the door 21 to the casing flanges19 and 20.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 9, a ledge or shelf 28 may be provided at asubstantial elevation above bottom wall 14 for a purpose to be describedlater. The forward edge 29 of ledge 28 may be joined to bottom wall14-by a wall 30, and openings 31 and 32 may be provided in wall 30 whichmay be covered with removable plates to close said openings.

Parallel spaced slots 33 may extend partly through the wall 28 and mayextend rearwardly therealong as shown in FIG. 9. When it is desired tomount various instruments having flexible lines leading thereto to theback wall of the casing, they may be inserted from the outside and backof the casing through the openings 31 and 32. Prior to such insertionthrough openings 31 and 32, some of the slots 33 may be knocked out orcut through so that the lines leading to the instruments may be threadedthereinto so as not to interfere with the application of the closureplates to the openings 31 and 32 when all of the instruments have beenmounted within the casing.

From the foregoing it is evident that the instruments to be mountedwithin the casing may also be removed therefrom for repair, or checking,in a reverse manner as disclosed above without disconnecting them fromthe lines leading from the instruments to the process being controlledby the instruments involved.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 10, and particularly FIG. 10, the plate 22of door 21 may be provided with a recess 34 formed 'by an offset portion35 of the wall 26 (FIG. 2). A bracket 36 may be fixed to the offsetportion 35 of wall 26 in a manner to oscillatably support a pin 37 thatextends from within recess 34 through offset portion 35 of wall 26 tothe interior of the case. A door handle 38 of generally angular sectionmay have its one wall 39 fixed to pin 37. The portion 35 of wall 26 maybe provided with a recess 40 for receiving the door handle 38 so thatwhen latched, the handle 38 is flush with the outer surface of the plate22 of door 21.

The end of pin 37 within the casing may have an element 41 fixed to it.The element 41 may include a large hook 42 spaced a substantial distancefrom the pin 37 so that the movement of the handle 38 will provide alarge movement of hook portion 42. The effective end of the hook 42 mayinclude a cam surface 43 that is adapted to cooperate with a roller 44journaled in a boss 45 (FIG. 2) on the interior of wall 11 of thecasing. The cam 43 is so constructed as to apply an increasing closingforce to the door 21 as the handle 38 is moved toward the position shownin FIG. 10. The cam 43 also includes a portion 44, the configuration ofwhich is such as to retain the door latched when handle 38 is in theposition shown in FIG. 10.

In order to lock the door 21 in closed position to prevent unauthorizedopening thereof, the element 41 may include an arm 45 at its endopposite that including hook 42. The arm 45 is adapted to cooperate, ina known manner, with a plate 46 that is connected to the rotatablebarrel of a lock 47. Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, a boss 48 may beprovided on the inside of plate 22 havin an elongated recess 49 thereinfor receiving the elongated barrel housing for the lock 47 in a mannerto prevent it from turning. By running an end mill 50' from the outerface of plate 22 inwardly, a circular opening 51 is pro vided for thereception of the face end of the lock 47. Insertion of a key 52 (FIG.10) into lock 47 and turning it will remove plate 46 from interferingwith arm 45 of element 41 so that handle 38 may be pivoted outwardly torelease hook 42 from roller 44. The flange 15 of the casing (FIG. 2) maybe provided with a recess 53 to facilitate grasping the handle 38.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the plate 22 may be provided withconcentrically arranged flanges 54 and 55 forming a mounting for a gaugeor the like. The metal Within the confines of flange 55 may be removed,as shown in FIG. 8, for the reception of a gauge face.

Referring to FIG. 1, grooves 56 may be provided at the same elevation inthe exterior of side walls 11 and 13 for the reception of mountingbrackets 57 having the same thickness as the depth of the grooves 56.

Although the various features of the new and improved casing have beendescribed in detail to fully disclose one embodiment of the invention,it will be evident that changes may be made in such details and certainfeatures may be used without others without departing from theprinciples of the invention.

What is claimed is:

Ones,

1. In a controller casing, a back wall; side walls integral with, andsurrounding said back Wall; a door for said casing hingedly attached tosaid casing; flanges integral with, and surrounding said door; a pivotpin mounted within a recess in one of said flanges; a door handle fixedto said pin and normally located entirely within said recess; a latchingarm fixed to said pin and located within the confines of said casing; aroller mounted on one of the side walls of said casing; and means onsaid latching arm for cooperating with said roller, whereby said door islatched in its closed position on said casing by said means when saidhandle is moved to its latching position within said recess.

2. In a controller casing, aback wall; side walls integral with, andsurrounding said back wall; a door for said casing hingedly attached tosaid casing; flanges integral with, and surrounding said door; a pivotpin mounted within a recess in one of said flanges; a door handle fixedto said pin and normally located entirely within said recess; a latchingarm fixed to said pin and located within the confines of said casing; aroller mounted on one of the side walls of said casing; and means onsaid latching arm and including an effective portion a substantialdistance from said pin for cooperation with said roller, whereby saiddoor is latched in its closed position on said casing by said means whensaid handle is moved to its latching position within said recess.

3. In a controller casing, a back wall; side walls integral with, andsurrounding said back wall; a roller mounted on one side wall of saidcasing; a door for said casing hingedly attached to said casing; flangesintegral with, and surrounding said door; a pivot pin mounted within arecess in one of said flanges; a door handle fixed to said pin andnormally located entirely within said recess; a latching arm in the formof a bell crank fixed to said pin and located within the confines ofsaid casing, one arm of said bell crank including means for cooperatingwith said roller; and a lock having a movable element adapted tointerfere with the other arm of said bell crank, whereby said door islatched in its closed position on said casing by said means when saidhandle is moved to its latching position within said recess.

4. In a controller casing, a back wall; side and top walls integral withsaid back wall; a stepped bottom wall forming a ledge a substantialdistance above the bottom of said casing and joined to the bottom ofsaid casing by a wall substantially parallel with said back wall;removable plates adapted to cover relatively large openings within saidjoining wall through which instruments to be mounted within said casingmay pass; means within said ledge for accommodating connecting meansleading from said instruments within said casing to the exterior of saidcasing; a door for said casing hingedly attached to said casing; flangesintegral with, and surrounding said door; a pivot pin mounted within arecess in one of said flanges; a door handle fixed to said pin andnormally located entirely Within said recess; a latching arm fixed tosaid pin and located within the confines of said casing; a rollermounted on one of the side walls of said casing; and means on saidlatching arm for cooperating with said roller, whereby said door islatched in its closed position on said casing by said means on saidlatching arm when said handle is moved to its latching position withinsaid recess.

5. In a controller casing, a back wall; side walls integral with, andsurrounding said back wall; a ledge integral with said back wall andjoined to one of said side walls by a wall that is substantiallyparallel with said back wall; cover plates adapted removably to beattached to said joining wall and adapted to cover relatively largeopenings within said joining wall through which instruments to bemounted within said casing may pass; means within said ledge foraccommodating connecting means leading from said instruments within saidcasing to the exterior of said casing; a door for said casing hingedlyattached to said casing; flanges integral with, and surrounding saiddoor; a pivot pin mounted within a recess in one of said flanges; a doorhandle fixed to said pin and normally located entirely within saidrecess; a latching arm fixed to said pin and located within the confinesof said casing; a roller mounted on one of the side walls of saidcasing; and means on said latching arm for cooperating with said roller,whereby said door is latched in its closed position on said casing bysaid means on said latching arm when said handle is moved to itslatching position within said recess.

6. In a controller casing, aback wall; side walls integral with, andsurrounding said back wall; flanges connected to said side walls andextending in a plane substantially parallel with said back wall; a doorhingedly attached to said casing; other flanges surrounding said dooradapted to 'form a sea with said casing flanges; a ledge integral withsaid back wall and joined to one of said side walls by a wall that issubstantially parallel with said back wall; cover plates adaptedremovably to be attached to said joining wall and adapted to coverrelatively large openings within said joining Wall through Whichinstruments to be mounted Within said casing may pass; means within saidledge for accommodating connecting means leading from said instrumentswithin said casing to the exterior of said casing; a pivot pin mountedwithin a recess in one of said door flanges; a door handle fixed to saidpin and normally located entirely within said recess; a latching armfixed to said pin and located within the confines of said casing; aroller mounted on one of the side walls of said casing; and means onsaid latching arm for cooperating with said roller, whereby said door islatched in its closed position on said casing by said means on saidlatching arm when said handle is moved to its latching position withinsaid recess.

7. In a controller casing, a back Wall; side walls integral with, andsurrounding said back wall; flanges connected to said side walls andextending in a plane substantially parallel with said back wall; a doorhingedly attached to said casing; other flanges surrounding said dooradapted to form a sea with said casing flanges; a ledge integral withsaid back wall and joined to one of said side walls by a wall that issubstantially parallel with said back wall; cover plates adaptedremovably to be attached to said joining wall and adapted to coverrelatively large openings within said joining wall through whichinstruments to be mounted within said casing may pass; slots within saidledge for accommodating connecting means leading from said instrumentswithin said casing to the exterior of said casing; a pivot pin mountedwithin a recess in one of said door flanges; a door handle fixed to saidpin and normally located entirely within said recess; a latching armfixed to said pin and located within the confines of said casing; aroller mounted on one of the side walls of said casing; and means onsaid latching arm for coopcrating with said roller, whereby said door islatched in its closed position on said casing by said means on saidlatching arm when said handle is moved to its latching position withinsaid recess.

8. In a controller casing, a back wall; side walls integral with, andsurrounding said back wall; flanges connected to said side walls andextending in a plane substantially parallel with said back wall; a doorhingedly attached to said casing; other flanges surrounding said dooradapted to form a sea with said casing flanges; a ledge integral withsaid back wall and joined to one of said side Walls by a wall that issubstantially parallel with said back wall; cover plates adaptedremovably to be attached to said joining wall and adapted to coverrelatively large openings within said joining wall through whichinstruments to be mounted within said casing may pass; means within saidledge for accommodating connecting means leading from said instrumentswithin said casing to the exterior of said casing; a pivot pin mountedwithin a recess in one of said door flanges; a door handle fixed to saidpin and normally located entirely within said recess; a latching armfixed to said pin and located within the confines of said casing; aroller mounted on one of the side walls of said casing; and means onsaid latching arm including an eifective portion a substantial distancefrom said pin for cooperation with said roller, whereby said door islatched in its closed position on said casing by said means on saidlatching arm when said handle is moved to its latching position withinsaid recess.

9. In a controller casing, aback wall; side walls integral with, andsurrounding said back wall; flanges connected to said side walls andextending in a plane substantially parallel with said back wall; aroller mounted on one side wall of said casing; a door hingedly attachedto said casing; other flanges surrounding said door adapted to form aseal with casing flanges; a ledge integral with said back wall andjoined to one of said side walls by a Wall that is substantiallyparallel with said back wall; cover plates adapted removnbly to beattached to said joining wall and adapted to cover relatively largeopenings within said joining wall through which instruments to hemounted within said casing may pass; means within said ledge foraccommodating connecting means leading from said instruments within saidcasing to the exterior of said casing; a pivot pin mounted within arecess in one of said door flanges; a door handle fixed to said pin andnormally located entirely within said recess; a latching arm in the formof a bell crank fixed to said pin and located within the confines ofsaid casing, one arm of said bell crank including means for cooperatingwith said roller; and a lock having a movable element adapted tointerfere with the other arm of said bell crank, whereby said door islatched in its closed posit-ion on said casing by said rollercooperating means on said latching arm when said handle is moved to itslatching position within said recess.

10. In a controller casing, a back wall; side and top walls integralwith said back wall; a stepped bottom wall forming a ledge a substantialdistance above the bottom of said casing and joined to the bottom ofsaid casing by a wall substantially parallel with said back wall;removable plates adapted to cover relativey large openings within saidjoining wall through which instruments to be mounted within said casingmay pass; means within said ledge for accommodating connecting meansleading from said instruments within said casing to the exterior of saidcasing; a door for said casing hingedly attached to said casing; flangesintegral with, and surrounding said door; a pivot pin mounted within arecess in one of said flanges; a door handle fixed to said pin andnormally located entirely within said recess; a latching arm fixed tosaid pin and located within the confines of said casing; a rollermounted on one of the side walls of said casing; means on said latchingarm for cooperating with said roller; parallel grooves formed on theouter surface of certain of said side walls; and mounting bracketsslidingly fitting said grooves and being of a thickness equal to thedepth of said grooves adapted to support said casing, whereby said dooris latched in its closed position on said casing by said means on saidlatching arm when said handle is moved to its latching position saidrecess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,080,000 Apple May 11, 1937 2,241,233 Young May 6, 1941 2,317,700Thompson Apr. 27, 1943 2,319,845 Caldwell May 25, 1943 2,423,937 HumerJuly 15, 1947 2,528,735 Bristol Nov. 7, 1950 2,574,203 Wills Nov. 6,1951

1. IN A CONTROLLER CASING, A BACK WALL; SIDE WALLS INTEGRAL WITH, ANDSURROUNDING SAID BACK WALL; A DOOR FOR SAID CASING HINGEDLY ATTACHED TOSAID CASING; FLANGES INTEGRAL WITH, AND SURROUNDING SAID DOOR, A PIVOTPIN MOUNTED WITHIN A RECESS IN ONE OF SAID FLANGES; A DOOR HANDLE FIXEDTO SAID PIN AND NORMALLY LOCATED ENTIRELY WITHIN SAID RECESS; A LATCHINGARM FIXED TO SAID PIN AND LOCATED WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID CASING; AROLLER MOUNTED ON ONE OF THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID CASING; AND MEANS ONSAID LATCHING ARM FOR COOPERATING WITH SAID ROLLER, WHEREBY SAID DOOR ISLATCHED IN ITS CLOSED POSITION ON SAID CASING BY SAID MEANS WHEN SAIDHANDLE IS MOVED TO ITS LATCHING POSITION WITHIN SAID RECESS.